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Community Edition Software Design Brief



At Nothing, software design is just as important as hardware design - this brief is all about crafting a unique on-screen look for Phone (3a) Community Edition. The chosen winner will work alongside our in-house Software Design team to develop and bring to life a package of fresh UI elements.

We’re providing a template to help you illustrate your idea. Show us how you would bring a unique and cohesive look to the lock screen and home screen on Phone (3a). 



Consider how you would use existing Nothing OS features to create impact:

  • Fresh wallpapers
  • A new lockscreen clock design
  • Fingerprint unlock animations
  • New widget ideas
  • Updated icon colours



As part of your submission, you should share the inspirations and process behind your ideas by responding to the following:

  • Describe your overarching idea and what inspired it
  • What tools were used to create the series?
  • What was your creative process?


Owing to our development timeline, we may not be able to develop all of the winners' ideas. We recommend starting with a great wallpaper design, and allow this to inform your lockscreen clock and fingerprint animation etc. You will collaborate closely with the other Community Edition winners, refining your ideas to ensure that they are cohesive with (3a) Community Edition’s final hardware design.

The submission deadline is 23 April 2025, 11am BST. At that time, all entries will go forward for 24hrs of community voting. Votes will help the internal jury, led by Yuri Levin, Software Product Design Lead, identify which ideas are popular. Later in April, our winner will be announced, after which they will begin collaborating with the Nothing team and the winners of the other briefs.


Things to consider:

  • Winners will be expected to work collaboratively with the Nothing team and the other Community Edition winners. This is a firm requirement to take part in this project.
  • The winning submission will go through a feasibility assessment before development begins and is therefore subject to change. 
  • Timescales are limited for the development of the Community Edition’s software. To meet production deadlines and to collaborate with our team, you must be available in some capacity for collaboration from May onwards. 
  • Nothing reserves the right to choose any design submitted and will take community votes and production feasibility into consideration.

Download Links

Templates download

FAQ

  • What do I get if I win?

    Winners will engage directly with the Nothing Team and the other Community Edition winners to collaborate and build on their winning submission. This collaboration may occur via video calls or the winner may be offered an expenses paid visit to the relevant teams at their respective work location.
    All winners will be invited for a trip to London later in the year for an event to officially launch Phone (3a) Community Edition. Each brief also rewards £1000 GBP (or local equivalent) to the winning team/individual. Of course, winners will also receive Phone (3a) Community Edition when they are produced!

  • Yes, this is a fundamental principle of The Community Edition Project. Winners will be expected to take part in workshops, development meetings and engage with our team members and other winners. If you are selected but are unable to commit to this, we may select an alternative winner.

  • No. This project is not designed to generate revenue but as an exploration of co-creation between Nothing and our community.

  • No. You are free to make submissions via any supported file types, including images, videos and text. The most important part of your submission is the idea.

  • If you decide to use an AI tool for your submission, you should only do so to elevate your own original concept - not for it to generate a concept for you. We ask that participants openly disclose the use of any AI tools that were used to create their submission, as well as explaining how it has helped you to elevate your idea. Failure to disclose AI usage can result in disqualification.

  • Yes. We will celebrate the winners online throughout the campaign and on the product itself. We may even have your work showcased in design publications.

  • Winners are chosen by internal juries at Nothing; juries are made up of experts in the respective design discipline. Juries will consider the strength of each submission's idea and the overall design impact - they will also consider community voting as an indication of a submission's popularity. Community votes are non-binding.

  • Yes! This is a project of collaboration after all.

  • No. Under the Terms & Conditions, participants assign rights to designs to Nothing. The reason for such assignment is that designs are closely tied to Nothing’s products and Nothing requires full rights to manufacture and distribute the winning Community Edition phones. Participants will be credited and retain a licence to display their design work.

  • Yes!

  • No. We're looking for quality over quantity. Accounts will be limited to one submission each per brief.

  • The competition is open to individuals over the age of eighteen (18). Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to accept submissions from countries/regions subject to sanctions or from individuals on export control or sanction lists. Please see our Terms & Conditions.